Machine for producing relief printing



Aug. 12, v1930.

J. Ross MACHINE FOR PRODUCING RELIEF PRINTING Filed Nov. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY S Aug. 12, 1930.

J. G. ROSS MACHINE FOR PRODUCING RELIEF PRINTING Filed Nov. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Shae! 2 JZfiAA INVENTOR W ATTORNEY Aug.- 12, ,1930. I J; G. 2055' MACHINE" FOR PRODUCING RELIEF PRINTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 14, 1925 INVENTOR 857/014 W ATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1930. J. G. ROSS MACHINE FOR PRODUCING RELIEF PRINTING Filed Nov. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 76 75 77\\\ J g a0 8 7/ Z9 y y/gg Z4 $245 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 8 Patented Aug. 12, 1930.

entrain stares PATENT orrice JOHN G. ROSS, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR Iro BAYFIELD SALES AND EQUIP- MENT 00., nm, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MAGHINE FOR PRODUCING BELIEF rninrnve" "A plication filed November My invention relates to machines for producing relief printing. Suchprinting of a high quality can be economically produced by printing a design or other impression upon the paper or other base, applying to the printed surface a suitable dry powdered varnishing material while the ink is Still wet,"removing the powder from the uninked portions of the printed surface, and subjecte ing that surface to a heat suficient to fuse the varnishing material and'unite it with the ink to form a surface crust or veneer coextensive and integral with the printing, all as well understood in the art. The powdered '15 material adheres only to the inked portions of the printed surface, and intervening portions of the surface are undisturbed in character and appearance.

One of the objects of the invention is to 2e provide improved apparatus for applying the powdered material to the paper or other base. Another object is to provide improved apparatus for removing, the excess powder from the paper. A further object is to provide improved apparatus for heating the powdered print to fuse the powder and cause it to unite with the ink. Another object is to provide an efficient, and preferablyportable, machine by which all the various operations may be automatically performed on the printed sheet or other-base to produce the finished print with the impression in relief. Other objects, features and advantages will appear more fully in the following detailed description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings forming a part of this specific bodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is an elevation on a larger scale of the device for applying powder to'the printed sheets and removing the excess powder. v

Figure 3 isan end view partly broken away of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the heating apparatus.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the to device shown in Figr 4 but with an upper ation illustrate one em 14, 1925. Serial no. 68,938.

housing or casing (which is omit-ted in Fig. 4'). in position.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the heater.

Figure Tie a central vertical sectional view of one of the devices for producing a mixture of gas and air for use in the heating apparatus. 7 a

Figure 8 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of an agitator forming part of the powder feeding mechanism.

Figure 9 is a central vertical sectional view of an injector forming part of the powder feeding mechanism. I

Figure 10 is'a fragmentary plan view of one of the sheet carriers.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line 1111 of Fig. 1, showing a part of the driving mechanism of the machine.

Figure 12 is a section taken 'on line 12-12 of Fig. 11. g

Figure 12A is a section taken on line A"A of Fig. 12.

Referring to Fig. 1, the printed sheets are delivered either by hando'r directly by the press upon conveyor 1 from which the sheets are delivered to conveyor 2. The conveyors 1 and 2 are, as shown, supported by arms 3 and 4 respectively, the arm 4 being pivoted to the frame of the machine, as at 5, while the arm 3 pivoted to the arm 4 at 6. The arm 3 is held at a desired elevation with respect to the arm 4 by-a set screw 7 coacting with a sector 8 rigid with the arm 3, while the arm 4 is held at a suitable vertical angle with respect to the'fra'me of the machine bymeans of set screw 9 coacting with sector 10 on the arm 4. "This arrangement enables the arms 3 and 4 andthe belts carried thereby to be adjusted vertically so as to be properly positioned to receive the printed sheets directly from the press. The conveyors or carriers 1 and-'2 may be of any suitable form, for ex ample, each of these conveyors or carriers may be in the form of spaced tape belts. From the carrier 2 the sheets are'delivered to successive carriers 11, 12, 14 and 15. Carriers 11, 1 2, 14 and 15 are formed of any suitablematerial"; but'I preferto form the same, especially the carrier 14 Whichis subjected ,7 33, 34, .35 and 36, the casing 37rincwhich they to considerable heat from the heating element, of wire mesh belts. Fig. 10 shows in plan a section of one of these belts or carriers. The wire mesh 16 is secured by lugs 17 to links 18 of a driving chain which will be referred to hereinafter. This form of conveyor not only withstands the heat to which it is subjected but is light and strong in construction.

For driving the various carriers I provide a drive chain 19 meshing with sprockets 20, 21, 22, 23, 23' and 24. The sprocket 24 is driven from a suitable source of power, such as electric motor 25, as will hereinafter be de scribed. The sprocket 20 is secured to the rollers 26 about which one end of carrier 2 passes so that its rotation imparts movement to the carrier 2. The movement of the carrier 2 rotates the roller 26 about which the other end of the said carrier passes whereby movement is likewise imparted to the carrier 1. Sprocket 21 is secured to the roller about which one end of the carrier 11 passes and its rotation accordingly imparts movement to the said carrier. Similarly the sprockets 22, 23, and 23 impart movement to the carriers 12, 14 and 15 respectively. The carrier 15 may be arranged to contact the carrier 14, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to be movable thereby.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, the shaft 28 of the motor 25 is connected through worm 29 and worm wheel 30 with the transverse shaft 31. The latter shaft is connected with shaft 32 through intermission gears 33 and 34 splined to the shafts 31 and 32 respectively. Sprocket 24 for driving the chain 19 is secured to the shaft 32. The chain 19 is accordingly driven from the motor through shaft 28, gears 29 and 30, shaft 31, gears 33 and 34, shaft 32 and sprocket 24. The gears 35 and 36 loosely supported upon the shafts 31 and 32 respectively are adapted to be substituted on the said shafts for the gears 33 and 34 to change the speed at which the sprocket 24 and accordingly the various carriers are driven. To permit ready access to the gears are arranged is provided with a cover 38 which ishinged as shown at 39 and which may be secured in closed position by screw 40.

A supply of the powdered varnishing material is carried, as shown, in a hopper 41 arranged below the carriers 11 and 12. This hopper as shown is provided with a movable door 41' permitting access to the interior ;heroof. The powder is conveyed from thelower end of this hopperthrough apipe or conduit 42 to a nozzle 43; (see Fig. 2) arranged so as to distribute the powder over the printed sheet. For conveying the powder through the conduit 42 into the nozzle 43, I employ pneumatic injectors 44 and 45, one of which is arranged adjacent the bottom of the hopper 41, the other of which is arranged adjacent the inlet to the nozzle 43. The injector 44 is shown in detail in Fig. 9. Air under pressure from a suitable source is delivered by conduit 46 into the longitudinal passage 47 of the injector. The powder from the hopper enters the injector through the vertical passage 48. A cylindrical tube 50 is secured in the injector under the passage 48, the interior of the injector being formed to provide an annular powder receiving space 51 around the tube 50. A stem 52 extends through the tube 50 having ahollow enlargement 53 at one end whereby it is held in position in the tube 50. Passages or openings 54 in the enlargement 53 permit the escape of air under pressure to the space between the stem 52 and tube 50. Air issuing in a thin stream at a high velocity from the annular space between the stem 52 and tube 50 entrains with it powder from the annular space 51 carrying the powder in a steady continuous stream through the conduit 42 to the injector 45 which acts as a booster to give added impetus to the stream of powder suspended in air and carry it with sufficient force into the nozzle 43 where it falls in an unbroken stream and without interruption downwardly upon the printed sheets. The lower end of the injector, as shown, is closed by a plug 55 permittting access to the interior of the injector. To insure the steady flow of the powdered material downwardly into theinjector 44, the hopper 41 is provided at the lower end thereof with a powder agitator. This agitator as shown (see Figs. 1 and 8) is in the form of a wire 105 in the shape of a right angled triangle having its apex in the lower end of the hopper. The wire 105 is secured to the lower end of a spindle 106, the upper end of which carries a gear 107 meshing with a gear 108 on shaft 109 to which the sprocket 110 is secured. The latter sprocket is driven from thesame shaft as sprocket 21 by chain 111 so that the agitator 105 is kept in constant rotation about the axis of the spindle 106.

Injector 45 receives air under pressure from a conduit 56. A stream of powder is delivered tethe side ofthe injector at 5T and is boosted along the injector by a stream of air passing through nipple 58 and discharged into the stream of powdered material.

The stream of powder entering the nozzle 43 from the injector 45 impinges against the wall 60 of the nozzle. This wall acts as a bafiie or spreader, causing the stream of pow der to be spread out laterally and to be diverted downwardly toward the sheet in a stream parallel to the wall 60 and at anangle to the sheet; so that when the powder strikes the sheet some of it is forced into and adheres to the wet ink while other powder is driven along the sheet towards the end of the machine where the sheets enter. Some of the excess powder is thereby carried off the sheet substantially at the time the powder is driven into the inked portion of the sheet. The

Large-44 amount of spread of the stream of powder and the position of the downwardly directed stream of powder in the nozzle in a direction lateral with respectto the carrier will depend upon the angle at which the stream of powder from the injector 45 impinges against the baflle surface 60. In order to permit adjustment to obtain the desired degree of spread of the powder stream and the desired location of the downwardly directed spread stream at a proper lateral position upon the printed sheets, I have connected the injector 45 with the nozzle-43 by a universal joint 61 comprising a ball shaped end formed on the injector and held against the nozzle 43 at the inlet thereof by clamp 62 permitting universal adjustment of the injector 45 with respect to the nozzle 43. The conduit 42 is preferably made of aluminum pipe and is sufficiently flexible to permit change in the angular position of the injector 45 with respect to the nozzle 43. The same is true of the conduit 56.

To dislodge powder adhering to the nozzle 48 I provide means for causing an air blast to impinge against the sides of the nozzle. To this end an air conduit 63 having perforations 64 its front and rear (referring to Fig. 3) is connected through the conduit 65 with asource of air under :pressure.

Air under pressure is supplied to the conduits 46 and 56. from a conduit 65 whichreceives the discharge from anair pump 66 (see Figs. 12 and 12-A.) This pump is a-rotary pump of the type employing a rotary hub 67 carrying vanes 68 which are slidable in wardly and outward-1y in radial recesses 69 in the hub, the outer ends of the vanes be ing held in engagement with the eccentric casing 70 by split. spring rings 68" engag ing'the inner edges of the vanes and arranged in recesses (not shown) in the ends" of the hub. The vanes 68 are preferably made of a central portion a of wood impregnated with grease and check plates 19 and 0, preferably of hardened steel. The impregnated plate (1 serves as a lubricant for the pump cylinder. As shown in the drawings, the pump shaft 71 to which the hub- 67 is secured is driven from the motor shaft 28 by gears 72 and 73. The shaft 71 also serves as the shaft of gas pump- 7 4 of identical construction with the air pump 66. In order to avoidexcessive discharge. pressure from;-the pumps 66' and 74,

I have provided a by-pass whereby the air or gas discharged by these pumps maybe admitted into the intake of the pump when the discharge pressure reaches a predetermined amount. To this end a by-pass 75 connects the discharge outlet 76 with the intake '77 of the pump. This by-pa'ss is normally closed by a valve 7 8.which is held yieldingly against its. seat by spring 79, therpressure of which upon the valve may be regulated by screw 80 which is arranged so as to be adapted to cause theabutment 81 for the spring to move closer to or further away from valve 78. When the pressure in the by-pass exceeds the pressure under which the valve 78 is held against its seat, the said valve opens to permit the fluid discharged bythe pump to pass into the intake passageof the pump where the pressure is very much less. The regulating screws 80 permit control of the pressures of the air and gas. discharged by the pumps 66 and 74 respectively.

The excess or' surplus powder not adhering to the ink should be removed before the sheets are carried to the heater. I preferably remove this excess powder by suction. Re ferring' to Figs. 1 and 2, the same casing 82 which contains the nozzle 43 also contains nozzles 83, 84 and 85. The said casin'g82 is supported by the frame of the machine at a position above and adjacent to the carriers 11 and 12 and above the hopper 41-. The nozzles 83 and 84 are connectedwith a suction producing fan 86 (see Fig. 1) through powder remover 87 and conduits 88, 89 respectively. The upper ends ofnozzles 83 and 84 which are connected withthe suction 'conduits 88 and 89 are, as shown, of substantially equal horizontal cross sectional area; and the amounts'of suction produced in these portions of. the said nozzles are substantially equal. The said nozzles, however, are so shaped that the nozzle 83 produces adjacent the printed sheet carried below the same by the carriers 11 and 12 only a slight degree of suction so as to carry off the light loose powder particles in the air and upon the printed sheet, while the great mass of excess powder on the sheets is carried off by the nozzle. 8 4=which produ'cesa relatively high degree of suction on the printed surface. In order to produce these-different degrees of suction with nozzles 83 and 84, the wall 90 between thetwo nozzles is inclined soas to produce a wide lower inlet for the nozzle 83 and a narrow lower inlet adjacent the printed sheet for the nozzle 84. In order to loosen the'excess powder upon theprinted sheet and direct the same towards the nozzle 84, the nozzle is provided with air under pressure supplied through "cond uit 91. The nozzle 85 has a vary narrow slit-like orifice 92 whereby a stream of air under, pressure im pinges upon the excess powder, the orifice 92 being so positioned with respect-to the orifice of the nozzle '84 that air from the former orifice isdeflected from the printed sheet into the nozzle 84 carrying the excess powder with it. I

Thefan 86 is, as shown in Fig. 12, driven from the motor'shaft 28 by gears 95 and '96. The inlet of this fan communicates with the powder collector 87 (see Fig. 1). This collector is provided with a perforated farbic powder separator 97 through which; the air from the conduits '88 and 89 passes into the-"fan 86.-

The powder separated by the member 97 falls downwardly into a drawer 98 by which it is collected and from which it may be replaced into the hopper 41. The outlet of the fan 86 discharges into a conduit 99 whereby ail-under pressure is supplied to the conduit 91 and also to conduits 100 and 101. The conduit 100 discharges downwardly into a casing 102 through a suitable perforated pipe 103 (Fig. 2) extending across the machine so as to remove the excess powder from the carrier belt 11 to clean the same, the excess powder being blown directly downwardly into the hopper. This down blast of air also serves to keep powder from escaping at the adjacent end of the machine. The conduit'lOl is connected at the opposite end or" the machine with the conduit 104 which is perforated along its lower surface so as to blow a current of air upon the printed sheets after they have pass'edthrough the heater to chill the crust or veneer thereon to harden and dry the same. The sheets with the powder applied to the printed portions and with the excess powder removed aredelivered by the carrier 12 to carrier 14 by which the sheets are carriedthrough the oven 112.

The oven, as shown, has an outer casing 113 arranged above the carrier 14 and a bottom 114 which serves not only to assist in retaining the heatwithin the oven but also as a guide or support for the upper section of the carrier 14. Similar guides (not shown) may be used to'support the upper sections of carriers 11 and 12. The heater 112 contains a number of heating devices 115, three being shown in Fig. 1. These heating devices are shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Each device as shown comprises a base 116 in the form of a metal casting provided with a shelf 117 by which a series of vertical tubular heating elements 118 are carried. These heating elements are'arranged in a series extending transversely of the carrier 14 and of the printed sheet. They are formed of refractory material which is capable of being rendered incandescent and, to emitradiant heat when played upon by" a suitable fiame. A mixture of gas and air for producing such a flame is introduced into each of the tubular elements 118 through a burner 119, the members 118 being shaped ascolumns closed at their upper ends and having a large number of lateral openings 120'to permit the proper combustion of the gas in intimate contact with difierent parts of the said elements so as to efiectively render the latter incandescent. An upper casing member 121 formed of fire resisting material such as brick is supported by the base 116 and has its inner wall formed, as at 122, as a curved dome to efiectively reflect heat from the incandescent elements 118 downwardly towards-the sheets on the carrier 14. The casing member 121 is omitted in Fig. 4 so as to more clearly show the heating elements 118. Secured to each of the castings 116 is a further casing 124 which surrounds, but is spaced from, the casing member 121 and assists in holding the heat within the heating devices. The members 121 and 124 are provided at the top thereof with central openings 125 and 126 respectively whereby the gases of combustion are permitted to escape upwardly into the casing 113. The latter casing carries a perforated drawer 127 slidable upon suitable guide ways and containing suitable material for absorbing obnoxious gases arising from the burners. Suitable absorbing material of this character can be purchased in the market. Any gases arising. from the drawer 127 pass out through a chimney 128. The casing 113 is preferably made with double walls with an asbestos filler between the same so as to retain as much heat as possible within said casing.

The mixture of air and gas for'combustion is supplied to the burners 119 by the mixing device 129 (see Figs. 1 and 7). The gas is sup plied to each of these mixers from pump 74 (see Figs. 1 and 12), the gas being delivered from the said pump into aconduit 130 from which it is delivered by branch conduits 131 and 132 into orifices 133 (see Fig. 7 in the sides of the devices 129. Manually operable valves 134 are adjustable to control the amount of gas which passes upwardly through the central opening 135 into the mixing chamber 136. Air is admitted to the bottom of the mixing chamber 136 through openings 137 which may be closed more or less by valve member 138 having openings139' arranged to be brought more or less into register with the openings 137. The valve member 138 is movably supported in proper relation to the body of the mixer by a spring wire 140 which fits into the peripheral grooves in the annular flange 141 on the valve 138 and in the periphery of the body of the member 129. The contacting surfaces of the valve and member 129 are suitably finished so as to produce a tight joint. The mixture of the gas and air produced in the chamber 136 is delivered upwardly from the mixing chamber into the conduit 142 (Figs. 1 and 6) from which it is delivered through conduit 143 into horizontal pipe or conduit 144 extending under and parallel to the ledge 117 supporting the heating elements 118. The burners 119 are tapped into the tops of the pipe 144.

In operation the desired impression is first made, as by type, upon the desired material, such as sheets of paper, and such sheets are delivered to conveyor 1 by which they are delivered successively to conveyors 2 and 11. While on the conveyor 3 the powdered varnishing 'material is distributed uniformly over the printed surface by the nozzle 43, this powderadhering only to the parts of the printedsurface which carry the still wet ink. As the sheets are carried along by the carriers 11 and 12, surplus powder not adhering to the sheets is removed by the nozzles 83 and 84. The sheets with the powder applied to the inked portions thereof are delivered by the carrier 12 to the carrier 14 by which the sheets are carried through the oven 112 where the printed and powdered material is heated to a temperature sufficient to fuse the powdered material and to cause it to combine with the ink and form at the inked portions of the printed surface a crust or veneer; so that the printed matter stands out in relief. Conveyor 114 delivers the printed sheets with the powdered material properly combined with the ink to the conveyor 15 where they are chilled by the air supplying device 104 and the veneer formed by the ink and powdered material hardens and becomes dry so that the sheets may be immediately handled or piled without blurring the impresslon. 1 By my invention the complete operation for producing the raised or relief effect upon the printed matter are automatically and quickly and efliciently performed. While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made in the specific apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A powder distributing device having a bafiie for spreading the powder, means for projecting powder against said baffle, a universal joint between said battle and said powder projecting means and means for holding the battle and powder projecting means against relative movement between the same.

2. The combination of a sheet carrier, a powder container, and means including an injector adjacent the container and an injector adjacent the discharge end of said means for forcing powder in a stream from said container to a sheet on the carrier.

3. In a machine for producing relief printing, a sheet carrier, a powder container below the carrier, means for pneumatically moving powder in a stream from said container to a sheet on the conveyor and distributing the same over the sheet, pneumatic means for removing excess powder from the sheet, and means coacting with said last named pneumatic means for separating powder from the air therein and collecting said powder.

4; In a machine for producing relief printing, a sheet carrier, a powder container, means for moving powder in a steady stream from said container to a sheet on the conveyor and distributing the same over the sheet, pneumatic means for removing excess powder from the sheet, and means coacting with said pneumatic means for separating powder from the air therein and collecting said powder.

5. In a machine for producing relief printing a sheet carrier, a powder container beneath said carrier and pneumatic means including a pump, hose and injector for withdrawing powder from sald container and depositing it in a steady stream upon sheets on said carrier.

' 6. In a machine for producing relief printing a sheet carrier, a powder container beneath said carrier and pneumatic means including a pump, hose and nozzle for withdrawing powder from said container and depositing it in a steady stream upon sheets on said carrier and pneumatic means for removing excess powder from said sheets and collecting the same.

7. In a machine for producing relief printing a sheet carrier, a powder container and pneumatic means including an injector for withdrawing powder from said container and depositing it in a steady stream upon sheets on said carrier.

8. In a machine for producing relief printing a sheet carrier, a powder container. and

pneumatic means for withdrawing powder from said container, depositing it in a steady stream upon sheets on said carrier and pneumatic means for removing excess powder from said sheets and collecting the same.

9. In a machine for producing relief printing a sheet carrier, a powder container and a plurality of suction devices of difierent degrees of force for removing excess powder from sheets on said carrier and collecting the same. p

10. Infa machine for producing relief printing a powder container, a sheet carrier, pneumatic means for removing excess powder from sheets on said carrier and collecting the same, said pneumatic means comprising. a nozzle device having a plurality of passageways presenting orifices of different areas terminating in conduits of substantially equal area.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN G. ROSS. 

